Reds land Benfica in tough test
Source: Agencies |
March 20, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FORMER European champion Liverpool and Benfica will meet in the quarterfinals of the Europa League following yesterday's draw in Nyon, Switzerland.
The Portuguese side will host the first leg on April 1 against the English Premier League team, whose only hope of silverware this season now lies with Europe's secondary club competition.
"We know they are a good team and of course we have played them before in the Champions League," Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez told Liverpool's Website.
"They are a massive club with a lot of support from their fans and it will be a tough game.
"They are top of the table and playing really well at the moment. I know a number of their players well -- Aimar, Saviola, Garcia -- so we know they have a lot of quality."
Fulham, which dumped Juventus out of the competition with a memorable 4-1 win on Thursday, were rewarded with a tie against German champions VfL Wolfsburg, which beat Rubin Kazan with a goal in the last minute of extra-time.
Unfashionable Fulham is making its first appearance in a European quarterfinal. Valencia and Atletico Madrid will meet in an all-Spanish tie while Hamburg SV, which beat Anderlecht 6-5 on aggregate, face another Belgian side in Standard Liege.
Fulham knocked favorites Juventus out of the Europa League after an astonishing 4-1 win over the Italians as Juve finished the last 16 second-leg game with nine men on Thursday.
Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro was sent off after less than half an hour for the twice European champion and three-times UEFA Cup winner, which went out despite a 3-1 first-leg lead and second minute goal at Craven Cottage.
It was the second time this season Juve has gone out of European competition with a 4-1 defeat. It lost at home to Bayern Munich in its final Champions League group match by the same score.
Prolific striker David Villa scored a hat-trick for Valencia in its 4-4 draw at Werder Bremen to go through on away goals as the drama continued in a competition usually derided as the poor cousin of the Champions League.
It did not stop there as Benfica scored twice in the last 15 minutes to win 2-1 at Olympique Marseille and qualify for the quarterfinals while Anderlecht beat Hamburg 4-3, only to lose 5-6 on aggregate.
Liverpool, trailing 0-1 from the first leg, kept its campaign alive by beating Lille 3-0 at Anfield.
Captain Steven Gerrard scored a ninth-minute penalty and Fernando Torres added two more in the second half.
David Trezeguet's early opener put Juventus ahead against Fulham at Craven Cottage, but Bobby Zamora replied quickly and the Italians unraveled after Cannavaro was harshly dismissed for bringing down Zoltan Gera.
Gera scored either side of halftime before a brilliant chip by substitute Clint Dempsey seven minutes from time sealed a 5-4 aggregate win that ended Juve's hopes of silverware this season.
"It was a fantastic team performance. Their goalkeeper made four outstanding saves," Fulham manager Roy Hodgson told ESPN.
"Beating Juve is something special. I'm sure every one of them (Fulham fans) will remember this night for some time to come."
The Portuguese side will host the first leg on April 1 against the English Premier League team, whose only hope of silverware this season now lies with Europe's secondary club competition.
"We know they are a good team and of course we have played them before in the Champions League," Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez told Liverpool's Website.
"They are a massive club with a lot of support from their fans and it will be a tough game.
"They are top of the table and playing really well at the moment. I know a number of their players well -- Aimar, Saviola, Garcia -- so we know they have a lot of quality."
Fulham, which dumped Juventus out of the competition with a memorable 4-1 win on Thursday, were rewarded with a tie against German champions VfL Wolfsburg, which beat Rubin Kazan with a goal in the last minute of extra-time.
Unfashionable Fulham is making its first appearance in a European quarterfinal. Valencia and Atletico Madrid will meet in an all-Spanish tie while Hamburg SV, which beat Anderlecht 6-5 on aggregate, face another Belgian side in Standard Liege.
Fulham knocked favorites Juventus out of the Europa League after an astonishing 4-1 win over the Italians as Juve finished the last 16 second-leg game with nine men on Thursday.
Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro was sent off after less than half an hour for the twice European champion and three-times UEFA Cup winner, which went out despite a 3-1 first-leg lead and second minute goal at Craven Cottage.
It was the second time this season Juve has gone out of European competition with a 4-1 defeat. It lost at home to Bayern Munich in its final Champions League group match by the same score.
Prolific striker David Villa scored a hat-trick for Valencia in its 4-4 draw at Werder Bremen to go through on away goals as the drama continued in a competition usually derided as the poor cousin of the Champions League.
It did not stop there as Benfica scored twice in the last 15 minutes to win 2-1 at Olympique Marseille and qualify for the quarterfinals while Anderlecht beat Hamburg 4-3, only to lose 5-6 on aggregate.
Liverpool, trailing 0-1 from the first leg, kept its campaign alive by beating Lille 3-0 at Anfield.
Captain Steven Gerrard scored a ninth-minute penalty and Fernando Torres added two more in the second half.
David Trezeguet's early opener put Juventus ahead against Fulham at Craven Cottage, but Bobby Zamora replied quickly and the Italians unraveled after Cannavaro was harshly dismissed for bringing down Zoltan Gera.
Gera scored either side of halftime before a brilliant chip by substitute Clint Dempsey seven minutes from time sealed a 5-4 aggregate win that ended Juve's hopes of silverware this season.
"It was a fantastic team performance. Their goalkeeper made four outstanding saves," Fulham manager Roy Hodgson told ESPN.
"Beating Juve is something special. I'm sure every one of them (Fulham fans) will remember this night for some time to come."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
